When I tell people that I wrote a book of touched-by-an-angel stories, I’ve often heard them say, “I have a story that could have been in your book.” So, I decided to write a sequel to WHEN ANGELS CALL YOUR NAME. If you have an idea for a title, I’ll entertain all suggestions.

I am amazed at the number of people who have told me that they, too, have experienced unusual coincidences or small miracles. Little miracles happen all the time. Some of us are aware that something unusual and beautiful just happened. Others brush it off and go on with their life, forgetting the experience. Those who have been touched by an angel never forget.

What kind of experience is it? For example, you drive by an accident and know that you could possibly have been in it, except that you had to go back to pick up your car keys that were left on the kitchen counter. That small delay, prevented you from being involved in the pile-up. You look up and send a silent thank-you to those who watch over you from above.

In my book, When Angels Call Your Name, I wrote the story of a man named Roy who was underwater for twenty minutes and lived to tell me his story. It happened one day in April when he and his friend, Mike took their new canoe for a test run on a beautiful lake in Wyoming. Their joy at owning a new canoe turned into a nightmare.

Send me your story of an unusual, amazing, or beautiful touched-by-an-angel experience, and pass along my request to a friend who might also have a story that could be in this sequel.  Send it to: mfrazer117@gmail.com. as soon as possible!

Everyone has a book inside waiting to be released. Authors are people who are brave enough to put their words on paper. Writing a book isn’t easy but it’s not impossible, either. An easy way to begin is to write about a subject you know. Write about yourself! Tell about the funny, sad, amazing, or touching incidents in your life. Just write. Don’t worry about spelling, grammar or how it will sound to others. Just do it. Then you can go back and correct the errors. After that, once a week or more often, add another page or two. Slowly build your memoir. The more you write, the easier it gets.

Now think of a title for your memoir. It could be as simple as “My Memoir.” At some point you will realize it’s becoming easier to think of what to write. You could start with the day you were born, or just write about an incident in your life and later organize the incidents into chapters. You can create categories such as Early Childhood, High School Days, Marriage, and so on. Find a few pictures to include, like the one when you were four years old. Learn how to download them into the memoir. The more pictures, the better, but be sure to include captions for them.

When you are finished, reread what you wrote looking for errors. Then add more pictures with captions, and titles for chapters. You did group your stories into chapters, didn’t you?

Now design a cover and go to Kinkos, print and bind your book, and make several copies. The book will be an excellent gift for a family member or friend. Above all, have fun with this project.

My goal is to finish my third book this year. It is a biography of an entrepreneur who has had a number of businesses, all successful, and has just started a new venture at age 84! This guy has had some incredible adventures. I have been interviewing him for several months, taping his stories and am busy with the tedious work of transcribing them, phrase by phrase. I know there must be an easier way to do this, but it works for me. I can’t wait for you to read some of his stories!

I have several books lined up which I need to finish…”miles to go before I sleep”… therefore, I want to remain healthy enough, and have plenty of time to finish my work. I wish I had started sooner, but I didn’t know I had so many books in my head.

Well, it’s January, a new year, like a fresh clean page on which to write. This year I decided I didn’t want to make any resolutions…except one: to create a better lifestyle. This means looking for ways to eat better, incentives to exercise more, thus living healthier.

In order to exercise more, I enrolled in a Zumba class. If I can roll out of bed early enough to be at the 7:45 am class, It should be a fun experience. Hopefully, the Charley Horse I will experience after the first class won’t be too bad. I also am taking Tai Chi and learning how to coordinate the arm and leg movements, a Chinese ballet somewhat akin to patting your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time.

It should be an interesting year. What do you hope your year will be like?

I saw an interview of Chelsea Clinton last night on a new NBC program, “Rock Center.” She told how she has successfully avoided the limelight for so long but she is now back in the public eye. Chelsea’s grandmother passed away a few months ago, but she gave Chelsea one important lesson not long before she passed away. She said, “It’s not what has happened to you, but what you do with what has happened to you.” Her grandmother told her that she is Chelsea Clinton and it is time she used that name to help others. So now Chelsea has shed her desire for privacy and is bringing inspirational stories to the television program as a new reporter on Rock Center.

No matter what has happened to you, what hand you’re dealt, do something positive with it. Help someone else in that position. Be supportive. Be there for her or him. You’ve gone through it. You came out of it OK. Let them know, they can, too.

It is time to give back and Pay It Forward. Think of a way, this time of year, to give something to others: your time, a small gift, an offer to help, a letter by snail mail telling someone how much you love-appreciate-miss them-whatever. This is the season of giving. Give from your heart and you will benefit just as much as the other person.

Several years ago I received a unique birthday present from my sister-in-law. It was a metal paperweight, 5″ long, an inch and a half wide, and a half inch deep. On it was written, “what would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?”

This was a powerful question. What would I do? I reflected a long time on this question. We did I worry so much about failure? I had so many what ifs’.

What if I fall flat on my face when I have to speak in front of the group?
What if I frame one of my paintings, place it in the exhibit and nobody buys it?
What if I write a book and nobody wants to read it?
What if…? What if…?

What if’s keep us from accomplishing more in our life.

So what if no one buys my painting. I did it! I created a painting! I entered an exhibit! And, who knows? Someone might just buy it!

And, if no one buys my book, at least I wrote one! I have told so many people, “You ought to write a book.” They always say they couldn’t do that, feeling it was too difficult a task to contemplate.

After contemplating the question, I decided to write the book. I had thought about it for a while, I had used the theme of the book, “Why do women ignore the warning signs that say…this guy’s not for you,” for the theme of my thesis in grad school. I began to expand on this idea. Pretty soon the book began to take shape. Slowly, I added stories from women I interviewed to the book. I was on a roll. Well,  I finished the book. I revised it so many times to improve it. I published it. I completed a difficult project! I accomplished something special.

The paperweight was always on my desk. My inspiration. Every once in a while I would look at it and realize the what if’s had held me back so many times. But, not this time!

The paperweight is in front of me as I write this. I plan to enter one of my paintings at an art show in November. I am now busy writing my third book. Thank you for that paperweight, Leah. I don’t have the fear of failure any more.